ENGLAND v USSR AND RUSSIA

 17th October 2007

You will know the Political  "history" of Russia and its varied titles over the years. If not try this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_Federation_of_the_Soviet_Union.

On this day, 2007 England played Russia on the artificial surface of the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow and a 2-1 defeat was a major setback in their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008. They eventually finished third in the group – behind qualifiers Croatia and Russia – and equal on points with Israel. England manager Steve McClaren only lasted another month in the job following the defeat in Russia.

v Russia

Games won:	1
Games drawn:	1
Games lost:	1

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
12 Sep 2007	England v Russia	W	3-0	UEFA European Championship
17 Oct 2007	Russia v England	L	2-1	UEFA European Championship
11 Jun 2016	England v Russia	D	1-1	UEFA European Championship

v USSR

Games won:	5
Games drawn:	3
Games lost:	3

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
18 May 1958	USSR v England	D	1-1	International Friendly
08 Jun 1958	England v USSR	D	2-2	FIFA World Cup
17 Jun 1958	USSR v England	L	1-0	FIFA World Cup
22 Oct 1958	England v USSR	W	5-0	International Friendly
06 Dec 1967	England v USSR	D	2-2	International Friendly
08 Jun 1968	England v USSR	W	2-0	UEFA European Championship
10 Jun 1973	USSR v England	W	1-2	International Friendly
02 Jun 1984	England v USSR	L	0-2	International Friendly
26 Mar 1986	USSR v England	W	0-1	International Friendly
18 Jun 1988	England v USSR	L	1-3	UEFA European Championship
21 May 1991 The Football Federation of the Soviet Union was a governing body of football in the Soviet Union and since 1972 the main governing body of football in the country. The Federation was created in late 1934 by the decision of the Supreme Council of Physical Culture of the Soviet Union as its sports section governing specifically football. It was the only organization that obtained recognition of FIFA in 1946.	England v USSR	W	3-1	England Challenge Cup

NOT AT ALL MESSY!!

In 2004 Seventeen-year-old Lionel Messi, made his league debut for FC Barcelona in a 1-0 win against cross-town rivals Espanyol at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona.

Messi began the 2004–05 season as a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, but after some lobbying by the senior players, he was promoted to the first team by manager Frank Rijkaard. He made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on 16 October 2004, at 17 years old. He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, becoming the youngest-ever scorer for the club at the time. He was at that time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition, and the club won the league title during that season.

On his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player, which kept him with Barcelona through 2010, and had a release clause of €150 million. Three months later, as his performance continued to make waves, his contract was updated to double his salary and keep him with the club until 2014. By the end of the 2005-6 season. Barcelona had won La Liga again as well as the UEFA Champions League.

During the 2006-7, Messi scored his first hat-trick during a game against Real Madrid, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a Clasico in 12 years. Two goals scored by Messi against Getafe and Espanyol during the season drew notice for their similarities to two famous goals scored by fellow Argentine Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup match against England, leading to comparisons between Messi and Maradona that would endure throughout Messi's career. Barcelona finished the 2006–07 season with only one trophy – the 2006 Supercopa de España – and the 2007–08 season without a single trophy, leading to Rijkaard's departure.

SOME INCREDIBLE FIGURES BELOW!!

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2004	Barcelona C	10	(5)
2004–2005	Barcelona B	22	(6)
2004–2021	Barcelona	520!!	(474!!)
2021–2023	Paris Saint-Germain	58	(22)
2023–	Inter Miami	79	(73)
International career
2004–2005	Argentina U20	18	(14)
2008	Argentina U23	5	(2)
2005–2026	Argentina	208!!	(126!!)

HISTORIC MATCH FOR THE MALTA NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM, FAROES, SPAIN AND GREECE

On this day, The Malta National Football team played the Faroe Islands in Torshavn, in a match that was the 400th ever international played by the Malta National team.

Malta played its first international game on 24 February 1957 at the Empire Stadium, losing 3-2 to Austria. That match was played in front of a capacity crowd at the old Empire Stadium. The Malta Football Association joined FIFA in 1959 and UEFA a year later. In late 1959, Malta played in the 1960 Summer Olympics African Qualifiers against Morocco and Tunisia, in which they finished last in the group with two draws and two losses. Since then, Malta has largely remained as one of Europe's weakest teams, though its fortunes have increased since late 2010s.

v Faroe Islands

Games won:	2
Games drawn:	2
Games lost:	6

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
30 Apr 1997	Malta v Faroe Islands	L	1-2	FIFA World Cup
08 Jun 1997	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	2-1	FIFA World Cup
18 Aug 2004	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	3-2	International Friendly
19 Nov 2013	Malta v Faroe Islands	W	3-2	International Friendly
07 Sep 2018	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	3-1	UEFA Nations League
20 Nov 2018	Malta v Faroe Islands	D	1-1	UEFA Nations League
23 Mar 2019	Malta v Faroe Islands	W	2-1	UEFA European Championship
15 Oct 2019	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	1-0	UEFA European Championship
03 Sep 2020	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	3-2	UEFA Nations League
17 Nov 2020	Malta v Faroe Islands	D	1-1	UEFA Nations League

The Spain national team played their 700th international match in history, this time in Solna against Sweden. 

15 Oct 2019

Sweden v Spain

D

1-1

UEFA European Championship

The 600th ever game of the Greece national football team was held in Marousi vs Bosnia & Herzegovina on October 15th 2019 at the Athens Olympic Sports Centre Spyros Louis in Marousi, Greece.

SIEG HEIL! and A CLICHE!!

Mark Bosnich, yes the goalkeeper, made a name for himself in many ways and mostly, positively. In 1996, on this day, he showed that his comic timing was as bad as his ability to say "no", when he performed the "Nazi Salute" at White Hart Lane, in front of 40,000 Spurs fans (mainly), many Jewish. The Villa goalkeeper claimed it was a "joke" directed at Jurgen Klinsmann, who had left the club a year earlier. The real joke was on him as he had to pay an FA Fine for £1,000....actually not a lot considering his status and earnings! The chaps back at the Association obviously "bought into" the Aussie's, "Its political correctness gone mad" defence!!

Gareth Southgate did not show any "comic timing" when in 1998, on this date, England won 3-0 over part-timers, Luxembourg, in a Euro 2000 qualifier. Hardly what you would expect, if things were being taken seriously!! The "minnows"...meaning Luxembourg!! had missed a fifth minute penalty which might have changed the evening! It was about time that.... the cliche..."there's no easy games in international football any more!"...... really started to pick up "steam". Must have been dodgey..even Beckham got a yellow!

 

Wednesday, 14th October 1998, 8:30pm

•  
• Luxembourg 0 - 3 England
• Euro 2000 Qualifying Group 5
• Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Michael Owen, 19'
• Alan Shearer, 38' (pen)
• Gareth Southgate, 88'

• 1David Seaman
  
  
• 2Rio Ferdinand
  
  
• 3Phil Neville
  
  
• 4David Batty
  
  
• 5Sol Campbell
  
  
• 6Gareth Southgate
  
  
• 7David Beckham
  
   21'
• 8Darren Anderton
  
  63'
• 9Alan Shearer
  
  (c)
• 10Michael Owen
  
  
• 11Paul Scholes
  
  77'
• 15Rob Lee
  
  63'
• 17Ian Wright
  
  77'
• David Beckham received 87 Yellows in PL. LaLiga, Serie A and Lique....+ 187 yellows in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Lique 1 + 19 Yellows in his international career.